Ghana Police Service to shed aggressive posture -ACP Arthur

Ho, June 23, GNA - Community policing is expected to transform the style of policing in Ghana from an aggressive posture to one of friendlin ess and transparency. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Community Polici ng, Florence Arthur, stated this at a community policing outreach programme i n Ho on Wednesday.

Under the community policing approach, personnel would be part of th e communities and build relationships based friendship. "Personnel will no longer sit at offices, but move into communities to be more proactive," Madam Arthur stated.

She said the initiative would make personnel more friendly, trust worthy and transparent.

Madam Arthur said community policing has come to change the face of policing in the country, with the involvement of the community, where the policeman would no longer be feared. She noted that the country has diversity of security needs which the police could not handle alone.

Madam Arthur said under the concept, the police and opinion leaders would identify security and development needs of the community, and strategies towards addressing those needs. She said criminals were now more daring and that without the support of communities, the police would find it difficult to handle, and urged chie fs and opinion leaders to welcome the concept. Madam Arthur therefore charged the individual to volunteer "quality" information to the police to make them very effective. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) in charge of Volta Region, Depu ty Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin, in a speech re ad on his behalf, said police in the Region were battling with a barrage of criminal and security challenges which required the support of communitie s to deal with.

He said though police were enjoying some level of public cooperation and collaboration, that relationship could be further enhanced through th e building of friendship and brotherliness between the two segments of the society. Mr Isaac Kodobissah, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, in a message delivered on his behalf, urged assembly members and the public to take community policing seriously for the good of society.